Baseball Game Preview: Vela Sabercats vs. Pioneer Diamondbacks

By Team Reports Apr 14, 2024, 3:23am

Baseball Preview: Vela Sabercats vs. Pioneer Diamondbacks

The Vela Sabercats will be playing at home against the Pioneer Diamondbacks at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

While Vela couldn't quite beat McAllen on Friday, the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 11-point loss they were dealt on Tuesday. Vela fell just short of McAllen by a score of 11-9. Vela has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Santiago Montes was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Montes has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Montes was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with an RBI.

Montes wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was AJ Reyes, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jayden Martinez, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.

Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Pioneer gave their fans yet another huge win on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest a 17-0 shutout. The victory was familiar territory for Pioneer who now have seven in a row.

Like Vela, Pioneer also got a great game from a two-way player: Andy Chapa. Throwing, Chapa pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Meanwhile, Rene Vela tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). At the plate, Chapa scored a run while going 1-for-2, while Vela scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.

In other batting news, Diego Chapa was incredible, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. Ben Martinez was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.

Vela now has a losing record at 11-12-1. As for Pioneer, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 20-5 record this season.

Vela suffered a grim 11-3 defeat to Pioneer in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Will Vela have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps